Signatures so far have come mainly from York County, Jons said. Petitions will be circulated in Poquoson within the next two weeks.

Although Williams worries that the petition drive will succeed, he has resigned himself to his inability to change its outcome.

"We are always concerned about something like that," he said. "But it is nothing I can block as far as I know. If the people want it, it will happen."

Jons, a former planning commission member, and Mary Sinclair, a former county supervisor, started the petition following Williams' conviction in November for sexually assaulting a female employee.

Jons, once a supporter of Williams, has said the sheriff should have resigned because he violated the public's trust and undermined the integrity of his office.

Williams is appealing the verdict.

"I stand on my previous actions and everything I've done for the county," he said Monday.

"I have always tried to help people."

Williams has little else to say about the petition drive.

"I don't appreciate it much," he said. "That's about it."

Petitions must be signed by at least 1,730 registered voters - equal to 10 percent of those in York and Poquoson who voted in the last election for sheriff - to be sent to the court. It's then up to the court to decide whether Williams should remain in office or be removed or suspended.

Not everyone is convinced a petition is appropriate in any situation.

York Supervisor Jim Funk supports creating a police department. But he's not comfortable with the idea of a relatively small group of voters going against Williams or any elected official without having all the facts.

"I have seen too many petitions," Funk said. "And people have signed them without really knowing the implications."

Jons and Sinclair originally expected this petition drive to be finished by mid-January. By Jan. 9, however, they had only 417 signatures.

"Neither of us had an idea it would take so long," Jons said. "Once we made the commitment, though, there was no way we could back off this thing."

The drive has faced temporary setbacks, such as the Christmas Eve ice storm. Also, some people simply choose not to get involved, Jons said.

But no factor has been as challenging as the sheer amount of support for Williams that many people - particularly long-time York residents - still harbor.

"They say, 'I have known him all my life. I know his kids,'" Jons said.

This reaction doesn't surprise Williams.

"I have got an awful lot of friends in the county," he said, "and I've been here a long time."

Still, Jons and Sinclair were able to organize a group of volunteers who helped gather signatures. Copies of the petition have continued to fill up, slowly but steadily.

This petition could succeed in ousting Williams. But, unlike the upcoming referendum, it cannot change the county's system of law enforcement.

On April 6, however, county residents will get to vote on whether to create a police department.

Though separate in origin and in possible results, the petition drive may offer clues to how the referendum will fare.

The drive has shown Williams' strong links to the community. But, because it has garnered nearly enough signatures to oust him, the drive also has shown that those links may not be strong enough to prevent change.

"There is a segment that feels if they speak out and sign the petition there is going to be some retaliation," Jons said.

"They're playing safe," he added. "But when they go behind the curtain to pull that lever, I think they will feel more secure in terms of expressing how they really feel."

Greg A. Lohr can be reached at 247-4736 or by e-mail at glohr@dailypress.com

THE SERIES

* A petition drive to have York Sheriff Press Williams removed from office is still alive and well.

THURSDAY

* A look at how the county has changed during Williams' tenure - and how those changes have led to conflicts between the sheriff and county officials.

SATURDAY

* In Virginia, only Roanoke County has succeeded in creating a police force by referendum. The measure failed twice in Hanover County.

SUNDAY

* Is York's April 6 referendum a sign of its recent growth and painful adolescence, or simply a way for officials to better control the county's top cop? Or is it both? Also, a look at possible costs.